Israel Refused to Help Ukraine to Avoid ‘Upsetting Russia,’ Former UK Defence Secretary Says

Former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said that the Israeli government refused to provide assistance to Ukraine, promising not to jeopardize its relations with Russia.

The former British defence chief made the remarks in a post on X.

According to Wallace, Israel’s decision not to support Ukraine ultimately backfired, as Russia continued to finance Iran’s weapons production.

“I urged Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to help Ukraine. Israel declined, saying it did not want to upset Russia. As a result, Russia continued to spend more than $1 billion on Iranian drones. Now ordinary Israelis are having to deal with the consequences of Netanyahu’s decisions,” Wallace wrote.

Wallace’s remarks were echoed by John Foreman, the former UK defence attaché to Moscow and Kyiv. He said he had personally made similar arguments to the Israeli ambassador in Moscow, where Iranian operatives were plotting attacks against members of his staff.

Hezbollah’s kamikaze drones have become the leading cause of Israeli military fatalities in Lebanon, surpassing threats such as anti-tank missiles.

Israeli officials acknowledge that these drones have become a major security challenge for ground forces.